Mesites cunipes Boheman, 1838

Friedman, Ariel-Leib-Leonid, 2023, A review of the saproxylic weevil subfamily Cossoninae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Israel, Israel Journal of Entomology 52 (6), pp. 75-96 : 81-82

Mesites cunipes Boheman, 1838

(Figs 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 35)

Material Examined: Israel: Hula Valley: Nahal ‘Iyyon, S Mappal haTahana, 480 m, 14.viii.2017, L. Friedman (1 ex.); Qiryat Shemona, 3.i.1958, J. Halperin, ex dead trunk of (?) Salix (1); ibidem, 3.viii.1959, J. Halperin, ex old trunk of (?) Salix (1 ex.); Golan Heights : Panyas, 2.viii.1978, D. Simon (6 exx.); ibidem, 6.viii.1986, A. Freidberg (1 ex.); Zenobar [ Golan, Sanabir ], 6.xi.1967, J. Halperin, ex Salix , 25.v.1968 (1 ex.); Lower Galilee: Nahal Zippori, ‘En Yivqa’, shaded side, 27.viii.2018, L. Bentor (1 ex.); Carmel Ridge : Nahal Shelef, ‘En Meholelim, 19.iv.2023, T. Eshcoly (1 ex.).

Distribution: Mediterranean, Caucasus and Middle Asia. Europe: Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Ukraine, Russia; North Africa: Algeria, Egypt;Asia: Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan) Folwaczny 1973; Halperin & Fremuth 2003; HlavÁČ & Maughan 2013; Nazarenko & Gontarenko 2017; Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2023). In Israel, confined to the northern part of the country: Golan Heights , Upper and Lower Galilee, Carmel Ridge and Yizre’el Valley.

Biology: This species lives and develops in dead trunks of Populus and Salix ( Salicaceae ) ( Folwaczny 1973; Nazarenko & Gontarenko 2017). Halperin and Fremuth (2003) reported Pinus spp. ( Pinaceae ), Populus spp. and Salix spp. ; the material in SMNHTAU includes three specimens collected by Halperin that emerged from Salix sp. The only specimen the author collected was spotted walking on the trunk of Salix sp ( Fig. 35). The association with pines (unlikely) and poplars (possible) remains unconfirmed.